EABC moving its Arusha-based headquarters to Kigali, Rwanda

The apex body for private sector in East Africa, the East African Business Council (EABC), will relocate its headquarters to Kigali, Rwanda from Arusha, Tanzania.

The decision comes as the private sector decries the continued existence of Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBS) that have continued to slow the East African Community (EAC) integration process.

EABC Chairman Felix Mosha said the organisation had been given two offers of properties based on its requests to the five Partner States.

“It was unanimously resolved by the Board to accept the offers from Government of Rwanda and Government of Tanzania,” he said during the council’s extra ordinary board meeting last week in Kigali.

Former Chairman Vimal Shah, Standard Group’s Managing Director-Print Operations Francis Munywoki and Rwanda’s Bosco Rusagara accompanied Mosha.

EABC currently operates from a private building in Arusha where it brings together private sector members from all the five EAC member States of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi.

Confirming the latest move, Mr Mosha said Government of Rwanda offered them land following a request from the Governing Council.

He said Rwanda offered EABC three acres valued at $1.4 million following a request from EABC to all Partner States to donate land to them to set up its Headquarters.

 “The Board, however, got great news that Tanzania similarly had donated land on May 27, 2014. From the resolutions you will see that this was accepted and EABC will also set up Liaison offices in Arusha, because of its proximity to the EAC,” said Mosha.

According to Mosha, the offer from Rwanda came after EABC had tried unsuccessfully to get land in Tanzania for several years and were using rented premises as headquarters. The Board met Rwanda’s Prime Minister Pierre Damien Habumuremyi who was representing President Paul Kagame to convey their appreciation and make a commitment to start implementation of the headquarter project in Kigali.

“EABC resolved to immediately proceed with the planning and implementation of constructing the EABC Headquarters in Kigali,” Mosha disclosed.

EABC has now constituted a Project Team to carry out the planning process for exercution of the EABC headquarters project in Kigali.

One board member save for Rwanda, which will be represented by two members, will represent each country. Chairman of EABC will be an Ex officio member of the team.

The Secretary to the team will be the EABC Technical Liaison Officer- Rwanda. On NTBS, Mosha disclosed that there were more than 33 NTBs in existence.

“Currently NTBs are standing at 33, with most related to sanitary and Phytosanitory (SPS) measures, non-recognition of the certificate of rules of origin, additional taxes and charges,” Mosha said.